Herpetology

The collections in the Division of Herpetology are curated by Carl S. Lieb and Jerry D. Johnson and number in excess of 21,500 specimens. Most depth in coverage is for the Chihuahuan Desert region of the United States and Mexico, and in many cases includes specimens from populations not represented in other collections. Coverage of the United States and the remainder of Mexico is otherwise synoptic, although there are minor holdings of significance representing southeastern Mexico, Eastern Europe, Malaysia, and Belize. The collection database is searchable via VertNet but is scheduled to be migrated to Arctos in 2018. Although taxonomy, specimen identifications and associated data are constantly reviewed, errors such as outdated names, mistaken identifications and erroneous collection event information do occur in our database. Investigators should verify identifications by examination of specimens.

In addition to physical specimens, the Division of Herpetology maintains an observation collection. Observations are supported by photographs and generally are vouchers for publications. All observations and their related photos are searchable on Arctos.